GOSHEN — Involvement and success in Goshen High School’s International Baccalaureate program continues to grow.

All 17 of Goshen High School’s IB diploma candidates this year have received the full diploma. In addition to taking a full selection of IB courses covering science, social studies, a world language, math, English and other core classes, full diploma students must do community service, take “Theory of Knowledge,” a class only for IB diploma-bound students about critical thinking and pass several intense exams.

“It’s a very rigorous curriculum,” Goshen Superintendent Diane Woodworth said.

“IB is very much about analyzing and synthesizing, thinking and scrutinizing,” she continued.

This is the third year for Goshen High School to offer the IB program, which has continued to gain interest from students. In its first year, about 10 students pursued the full IB diploma and 15 did last year, Woodworth said. This year, though, was the first year for all IB diploma candidates to earn the diploma, which could translate into a year’s worth of college credit. Of the diploma candidates, 14 earned scores of 7, which is the highest score awarded on an IB exam, according to information from the school.

Woodworth attributed the students’ success to teachers and students understanding more about what IB is and what’s expected on the exams and in the curriculum.

Apart from the full diploma, students can also take individual IB classes and their corresponding exams. This year, Goshen High School had 152 students take 231 exams. Of those, 87 percent scored on at least one exam a 4 or higher, which is considered passing by the Indiana Department of Education.

Goshen High School’s IB program is open to all students, regardless of academic history, according to Goshen High School. The school corporation is also working to expand its IB program through the Goshen Community Schools Foundation, which this year is working to raise interest in middle school students about the high school IB program.